Hydraulic system for an air cart

ABSTRACT

A hydraulic system for an air cart includes a primary hydraulic assembly and a secondary hydraulic assembly. The hydraulic system also includes a first valve configured to block a flow of a hydraulic fluid flowing in a first direction from the primary hydraulic assembly and a second valve configured to block a flow of the hydraulic fluid flowing in a second direction from the secondary hydraulic assembly.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from and the benefit of U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 62/075,115, entitled “HYDRAULICSYSTEM FOR AN AIR CART,” filed Nov. 4, 2014, which is herebyincorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates generally to agricultural equipment, andmore specifically to a hydraulic system for an air cart.

A range of agricultural implements have been developed and are used fortilling, planting, harvesting, and so forth. Seeders, for example, arecommonly towed behind tractors and cover swaths of ground. Seedingdevices typically open the soil, dispense seeds in the soil opening, andre-close the soil in a single operation. In seeders, the seeds arecommonly dispensed from bulk seed tanks and distributed to row units bya distribution system. In certain configurations, an air cart is towedwith the seeder to deliver a desired flow of seeds to the row units.

Air carts generally include a storage tank, an air source (e.g., ablower or fan), a metering assembly, and a filling mechanism. Seeds, orother particulate material, are typically gravity fed from the storagetank to the metering assembly that dispenses a desired amount of seedsinto an air stream generated by the air source. The air stream thencarries the seeds to the row units via hoses and pipes (e.g., conduits)extending from the air cart to the seeder. The metering assemblytypically includes meter rollers or other metering devices that regulatethe flow of seeds based on meter roller geometry and rotation rate. Whenthe quantity of seeds or other product in the storage tank depletes, thefilling mechanism may be used to refill the storage tank. For example,the filling mechanism conveys product from a source, such as a truck,into the storage tank.

Air carts typically include various actuators (e.g., hydraulic motors,hydraulic cylinders) that drive various parts of the equipment, such asthe air source and the filling mechanism, for example. With traditionalair carts, an operator physically adjusts a manual selector valvelocated on the air cart to switch between supplying hydraulic fluid todrive the air source or to drive the filling mechanism, for example. Insuch cases, the operator approaches the air cart. Additionally, themanual selector valve is generally not configured to control the flowrate of the hydraulic fluid being supplied to the hydraulic motors.Further, a manual selector valve and the associated mounting equipmentare relatively expensive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

In one embodiment, a hydraulic system for an air cart includes a primaryhydraulic assembly and a secondary hydraulic assembly. The hydraulicsystem includes a first valve configured to block a flow of a hydraulicfluid flowing in a first direction from the primary hydraulic assemblyand a second valve configured to block a flow of the hydraulic fluidflowing in a second direction from the secondary hydraulic assembly.

In one embodiment, a hydraulic system for an air cart includes a firstprimary hydraulic motor configured to power a fan of the air cart, and afirst secondary hydraulic motor configured to power a conveyor, whereinthe conveyor is configured to convey a product into a storage tank ofthe air cart. The hydraulic system includes a first valve configured tofacilitate flow of a hydraulic fluid flowing in a first directionthrough the first primary hydraulic motor and to block the hydraulicfluid flowing in a second direction from flowing through the firstprimary hydraulic motor. A second valve is configured to facilitate flowof the hydraulic fluid flowing in the second direction through the firstsecondary hydraulic motor and to block the hydraulic fluid flowing inthe first direction from flowing through the first secondary hydraulicmotor.

In one embodiment, a hydraulic system for an air cart includes a firstfluid conduit configured to couple to a primary hydraulic motor and asecond fluid conduit configured to fluidly couple to a secondaryhydraulic motor. The hydraulic system also includes a first hydraulicjunction comprising a first member and a second member, and the firstmember of the first hydraulic junction is fluidly coupled to the firstfluid conduit, and the second member of the first hydraulic junction isfluidly coupled to the second fluid conduit. Also, the hydraulic systemincludes a first check valve fluidly coupled to the second fluid conduitand to the second member of the first hydraulic junction. The firstcheck valve is configured to block a flow of a hydraulic fluid flowingin a first direction through the second fluid conduit. The hydraulicsystem also includes a second hydraulic junction having a first memberand a second member, the first member of the second hydraulic junctionis fluidly coupled to the first fluid conduit, and the second member ofthe second hydraulic junction is fluidly coupled to the second fluidconduit. The hydraulic system further includes a second check valvefluidly coupled to the first fluid conduit and to the first member ofthe second hydraulic junction, and the second check valve is configuredto block a flow of the hydraulic fluid flowing in a second directionthrough the first fluid conduit.

DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the presentinvention will become better understood when the following detaileddescription is read with reference to the accompanying drawings in whichlike characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view of an embodiment of an air cart including ametering assembly configured to regulate a flow of particulate materialand a filling mechanism configured to convey product from atransportation vessel into a storage tank of the air cart;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the metering assembly, as shown in FIG. 1,including an embodiment of a system for supplying power to the meteringassembly;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the filling mechanism, as shown in FIG. 1,including an embodiment of a system for supplying power to the fillingmechanism;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a hydraulic systemhaving a primary hydraulic assembly and a secondary hydraulic assembly,in which hydraulic fluid is flowing in a first direction;

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the hydraulic system of FIG. 4, inwhich hydraulic fluid is flowing in a second direction;

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of a hydraulicsystem having two primary hydraulic assemblies in series and a secondaryhydraulic assembly, in which hydraulic fluid is flowing in a firstdirection;

FIG. 7 is a diagram of the hydraulic system of FIG. 6, in whichhydraulic fluid is flowing in a second direction.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

One or more specific embodiments of the present invention will bedescribed below. In an effort to provide a concise description of theseembodiments, all features of an actual implementation may not bedescribed in the specification. It should be appreciated that in thedevelopment of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering ordesign project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be madeto achieve the developers' specific goals, such as compliance withsystem-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from oneimplementation to another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that sucha development effort might be complex and time consuming, but wouldnevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, andmanufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of thisdisclosure.

When introducing elements of various embodiments of the presentinvention, the articles “a,” “an,” “the,” and “said” are intended tomean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising,”“including,” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean thatthere may be additional elements other than the listed elements.

Embodiments disclosed herein include a hydraulic system for an air cart.More particularly, disclosed embodiments include a hydraulic system thatenables selection of, or switching between, different operations (e.g.,functions) of the air cart by reversing a flow of hydraulic fluid to theair cart.

As noted above, air carts include various components, such as an airsource and a metering assembly, to facilitate seeding operations (e.g.,transfer seeds or other agricultural products from a storage tank of theair cart to the row units of an agricultural implement). Additionally,air carts include various components, such as a conveyance system (e.g.,filling mechanism) having a conveyor (e.g., an auger, a belt, or thelike) mounted on an adjustable arm, to facilitate filling operations(e.g., conveyance operations or transfer of seeds or other agriculturalproducts from a transportation vessel [e.g., a truck] to the storagetank of the air cart). The components for seeding operations and thecomponents for filling operations may be driven by respective hydraulicmotors or positioned by hydraulic cylinders. The seeding operations andthe filling operations are carried out at different times.

The disclosed embodiments provide a hydraulic system that provides aflow of hydraulic fluid to a first hydraulic motor that drives acomponent to facilitate seeding operations. Upon reversal of the flow ofhydraulic fluid, the hydraulic system provides the hydraulic fluid to asecond hydraulic motor that drives a component to facilitate fillingoperations. As discussed in more detail below, the disclosed embodimentsinclude a direction control valve that is configured to enable efficientswitching between seeding operations and filling operations. Thedisclosed embodiments may also enable control of a flow rate of thehydraulic fluid to the various components. Therefore, the disclosedembodiments may enable efficient selection of air cart operations,enable hydraulic fluid flow rate control, and/or reduce the cost of theair cart.

Turning now to the drawings, FIG. 1 is a side view of an air cart 10that may be used in conjunction with a towable agricultural implement todeposit seeds into the soil. For example, certain agriculturalimplements include row units configured to open the soil, dispense seedsinto the soil opening, and re-close the soil in a single operation. Suchimplements are generally coupled to a tow vehicle, such as a tractor,and pulled through a field. In certain configurations, seeds areconveyed to the row units by the illustrated air cart 10, which isgenerally towed in sequence with the implement. The air cart 10 may alsobe configured to provide fertilizer to the row units, or a combinationof seeds and fertilizer.

In the illustrated embodiment, the air cart 10 includes a storage tank12, a frame 14, wheels 16, a metering assembly 18, an air source 20, anda filling mechanism 22. In certain configurations, the storage tank 12includes multiple compartments for storing various flowable particulatematerials (e.g., agricultural products). For example, one compartmentmay include seeds and another compartment may include a dry fertilizer.Each compartment may have a separate metering assembly 18. In suchconfigurations, the air cart 10 is configured to deliver both the seedsand the fertilizer to the implement. As shown, the frame 14 includes atowing hitch configured to couple to the implement or tow vehicle. Seedsand/or fertilizer within the storage tank 12 are gravity fed into themetering assembly 18. The metering assembly 18 includes a meter rollerthat regulates the flow of material from the storage tank 12 into an airstream provided by the air source 20. The air stream then carries thematerial to the implement via pneumatic pipes and hoses (e.g.,conduits). In this manner, the row units receive a supply of seedsand/or fertilizer for deposition into the soil.

When the product or products in the storage tank 12 are exhausted ornearly exhausted, the filling mechanism 22 is used to refill the storagetank 12. As discussed in more detail below, the filling mechanism 22includes an arm and a conveyor mounted to the arm. The arm is configuredto move relative to the storage tank 12, and the movement of the arm maybe controlled by an operator. For example, a portion of the conveyor maybe moved to a position below a transportation truck, or other vessel,such that product flows directly from an outlet located on the bottom ofthe truck or vessel into the portion of the conveyor. The conveyor maythen convey product into the storage tank 12. Additionally, if thestorage tank comprises multiple compartments as discussed above, the armmay be moved to distribute the product into an appropriate compartment.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the metering assembly 18, as shown inFIG. 1. As illustrated, the air source 20 is coupled to a conduit 24that is configured to flow air 26 past the metering assembly 18. The airsource 20 may be a pump or blower driven by an actuator, such as ahydraulic motor 28, for example. In one embodiment, the hydraulic motor28 powering the air source 20 may be part of a primary hydraulicassembly of a hydraulic system, as discussed further herein. Flowableparticulate material 30 (e.g., seeds, fertilizer, or the like) withinthe storage tank 12 flows by gravity into the metering assembly 18. Themetering assembly 18 includes one or more meter rollers 32 configured toregulate the flow of material 30 into the air flow 26. Moreparticularly, the metering assembly 18 may include multiple meterrollers 32 disposed adjacent to one another along a longitudinal axis ofthe storage tank 12. For example, certain metering assemblies 18 includeseven meter rollers 32. However, alternative embodiments may includemore or fewer meter rollers 32, e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, ormore. In one embodiment, the one or more meter rollers 32 may be drivenby an actuator, such as an electric motor 34, which may be powered by analternator 36. The alternator 36 may be powered by another hydraulicmotor 38, which may also be part of a primary hydraulic assembly of thedisclosed hydraulic system, as discussed in more detail below. It shouldbe appreciated that in some embodiments the meter rollers 32 may bedriven directly by the hydraulic motor 38 without the use of thealternator 36 and the electric motor 34. Furthermore, in someembodiments, a single hydraulic motor may drive both the air source 20and the meter rollers 32 (e.g., the single hydraulic motor may becoupled to both the air source 20 and the alternator 36).

As shown, each meter roller 32 includes an interior cavity 40 configuredto receive a shaft that drives the meter roller 32. In the presentembodiment, the cavity 40 has a hexagonal cross section. However,alternative embodiments may include various other cavity configurations(e.g., triangular, square, keyed, splined, etc.). The shaft is coupledto a drive unit, such as the electric motor 34, configured to rotate themeter rollers 32.

The hydraulic motors 28, 38 drive the air source 20 and the meter roller32, respectively, which act together to convey the product from thestorage tank 12 to the row units. Thus, the two hydraulic motors 28, 38facilitate a seeding operation, which may be considered a primaryfunction of the air cart 10. In one embodiment, the hydraulic motors 28,38 may be arranged in series such that hydraulic fluid enters onehydraulic motor and subsequently enters the other hydraulic motor at thesame flow rate. Alternatively, the hydraulic motors 28, 38 may bearranged in parallel or as part of separate hydraulic circuits. Forexample, in one embodiment, the hydraulic motors 28, 38 may be arrangedin a parallel configuration, and a proportional flow valve is providedto adjust a rate of hydraulic fluid flow to each hydraulic motor 28, 38.Regardless of the configuration, hydraulic fluid enters the hydraulicmotor 28, 38 at a desired flow rate and turns a shaft to create torqueto drive a device, such as the blower 20 or the alternator 36.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the filling mechanism 22. The fillingmechanism 22 is configured to convey material from a transportationvessel 54 (e.g., a truck) into the storage tank 12 of the air cart 10 toreplenish the material for the seeding operation. Thus, the fillingmechanism 22 facilitates a filling operation, which may be considered asecondary function of the air cart 10. It should be noted that theseeding operation (e.g., the primary function) and the filling operation(e.g., the secondary function) of the air cart 10 do not occursimultaneously. Rather, only the seeding operation or the fillingoperation is performed at any given time. Thus, a hydraulic system mayprovide a flow of hydraulic fluid to various actuators to drive variouscomponents to facilitate seeding operations, and upon reversal of theflow of hydraulic fluid may provide the hydraulic fluid to variousactuators to drive various components to facilitate filling operations.

As shown, the filling mechanism 22 may utilize a conveyor 52 (e.g., anauger, a belt, or the like) to transport product from the transportationvessel 54 into the storage tank 12 of the air cart 10. The conveyor 52may be powered by an actuator, such as a hydraulic motor 58, which maybe part of a secondary hydraulic assembly of the disclosed hydraulicsystem. The hydraulic motor 58 provides the power and torque to drivethe conveyor 52. The moving conveyor 52 then conveys the product fromthe transportation vessel 54 into the storage tank 12. In theillustrated embodiment, an actuator, such as hydraulic cylinders 60,controls an adjustable arm 62 of the filling mechanism 22. The hydrauliccylinders 60 may be part of a secondary hydraulic assembly of thedisclosed hydraulic system. Hydraulic fluid is fed to the hydrauliccylinders 60 to reposition the arm 62, moving the conveyor 52 from onecompartment of the storage tank 12 to another compartment of the storagetank 12. Additionally, the arm 62 may be raised and lowered with thehydraulic cylinders 60. As a non-limiting example, raising and loweringthe arm 62 may enable an operator to place a portion of the conveyor 52underneath the transportation vessel 54. While the portion of theconveyor 52 is underneath the transportation vessel 54, product may bereleased from the transportation vessel 54 to the conveyor 52 andtransported to the storage tank 12 by the conveyor 52. In theillustrated embodiment, a second hydraulic motor 64 is provided to drivean auxiliary feed system 66. The auxiliary feed system 66 may beconfigured to provide additional product into the storage tank 12 of theair cart 10 (e.g., via a pneumatic distribution system). The hydraulicmotor 64 may be part of a secondary hydraulic assembly of the disclosedhydraulic system.

In one embodiment, the hydraulic motors 58, 64 of FIG. 3 may beconnected in series such that each hydraulic motor 58, 64 receives thesame flow of hydraulic fluid. Alternatively, the motors 58, 64 and/orhydraulic cylinders 60 may be connected in parallel, or as parts ofseparate hydraulic systems. For example, in one embodiment, thehydraulic motors 58, 64 may be arranged in a parallel configuration, anda proportional flow valve is provided to adjust a rate of hydraulicfluid flow to each hydraulic motor 58, 64. Regardless of theconfiguration, hydraulic fluid enters the hydraulic motors 58, 64 at adesired flow rate and turns a shaft to create torque that drives adevice, such as the conveyor 52 or the auxiliary feed system 66.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show one embodiment of a portion of a hydraulic system 76.FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate a hydraulic circuit 80 having various hydraulicmotors, hydraulic junctions, and valve assemblies. In certainembodiments, only one hydraulic circuit may be provided within the aircart 10, while in other embodiments, two or more hydraulic circuits maybe provided on the air cart 10. Specifically, the hydraulic circuit 80includes a primary hydraulic assembly 82, a first valve assembly 84, asecondary hydraulic assembly 86, and a second valve assembly 88. Incertain embodiments, the primary hydraulic assembly 82 and/or thesecondary hydraulic assembly 84 may include more than one hydraulicmotor. With reference to FIG. 4, the hydraulic circuit 80 is configuredsuch that when hydraulic fluid flows in a direction 90, the hydraulicfluid is blocked from entering the secondary hydraulic assembly 86 bythe second valve assembly 88. However, hydraulic fluid flows through theprimary hydraulic assembly 82 because the first valve assembly 84 isconfigured to enable the flow of hydraulic fluid in the direction 90.Conversely, as shown in FIG. 5, when the flow of hydraulic fluid isreversed and flows in a direction 110, the hydraulic fluid is blockedfrom entering the primary hydraulic assembly 82 by the first valveassembly 84, but enters the secondary hydraulic assembly 86 via thesecond valve assembly 88.

In one embodiment, the primary and secondary hydraulic assemblies 82, 86may comprise one or more hydraulic motors, hydraulic control systems,and/or hydraulic tools. For example, as noted above, the primaryhydraulic assembly 82 may include the hydraulic motor 28 configured todrive the air source 20 and/or may include the hydraulic motor 38configured to power the alternator 36. Further, the secondary hydraulicassembly 86 may include the hydraulic motor 58 configured to drive theconveyor 52, the hydraulic cylinders 60 configured to drive the arm 62,and/or the hydraulic motor 64 configured to drive the auxiliary feedsystem 66. Additionally, in one embodiment the first and second valveassemblies 84, 88 may comprise one or more check valves and/or anyone-way valve configured to restrict or block the flow of hydraulicfluid in a particular direction. As shown, the hydraulic system 76includes a controller 81 having a processor 83 and a memory 85. Thecontroller 81 may be disposed within a tractor towing the air cart 10.In certain embodiments, an operator may provide an input via user input87 instructing the controller 81 to switch (e.g., revert) the flow ofhydraulic fluid via a direction control valve 89.

In certain embodiments, the controller 81 is an electronic controllerhaving electrical circuitry configured to process signals (e.g., signalsindicative of a desired flow direction and/or flow rate) from the userinput 87 and/or from other components of the hydraulic system 76. In theillustrated embodiment, the controller 81 includes a processor, such asthe illustrated microprocessor 83, and a memory device 85. Thecontroller 81 may also include one or more storage devices and/or othersuitable components. The processor 83 may include multiplemicroprocessors, one or more “general-purpose” microprocessors, one ormore special-purpose microprocessors, and/or one or more applicationspecific integrated circuits (ASICS), or some combination thereof. Forexample, the processor 83 may include one or more reduced instructionset (RISC) processors.

The memory device 85 may include a volatile memory, such as randomaccess memory (RAM), and/or a nonvolatile memory, such as ROM. Thememory device 85 may store a variety of information and may be used forvarious purposes. For example, the memory device 85 may storeprocessor-executable instructions (e.g., firmware or software) for theprocessor 83 to execute, such as instructions for controlling thehydraulic system 76 and components therein. The storage device(s) (e.g.,nonvolatile storage) may include read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, ahard drive, or any other suitable optical, magnetic, or solid-statestorage medium, or a combination thereof. The storage device(s) maystore data (e.g., a desired flow rate, or the like), instructions (e.g.,software or firmware for controlling the hydraulic system 76, or thelike), and any other suitable data.

In certain embodiments, additional valves and controls may be includedin the hydraulic circuit. As a non-limiting example, flow controls,pressure controls, and/or additional direction control valves may beincluded in the hydraulic circuit 80 to control additional functions ofthe air cart 10 and/or to provide more precise control over the seedingoperation and/or filling operations.

In one embodiment, the operator of the air cart 10 may control a flowrate of the hydraulic fluid in the direction 90 and/or in the direction110 with the controller 81. The flow rate of the hydraulic fluid in thedirection 90 and/or the direction 110 can be input by the operator toenhance performance of the hydraulic assembly being powered. As anon-limiting example, if the primary hydraulic assembly 82 on the aircart 10 includes the hydraulic motor 28 configured to drive the fan 20,the operator may specify a flow rate less than the maximum flow rate ofhydraulic fluid (e.g., 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, or 90 percent ofthe maximum flow rate) to reduce air flow through the conduit 24. Toomuch air flow may lead to excessive product delivery to the meteringassembly 18, and thus potential product waste. As a non-limitingexample, the operator may set a first directional flow rate (e.g., aflow rate in the direction 90) at 60 percent of the maximum hydraulicfluid flow rate for the hydraulic motor 28 powering the fan 20, and asecond directional flow rate (e.g., a flow rate in the direction 110) at100 percent of the maximum hydraulic fluid flow rate for the hydraulicmotor 58 powering the conveyor 52 of the filling mechanism 22. In thedisclosed embodiments, the operator may input (e.g., via the user input87) a desired flow rate for each flow direction 90, 110, prior tocommencing seeding and/or filling operations. The desired flow rates maybe stored in the memory 85, or any other suitable storage device. Thecontroller 81 may be configured to control the directional control valve89 to flow the hydraulic fluid at the desired flow rate. Thus, the flowrate may be automatically adjusted to the desired flow rate upon achange in the hydraulic fluid flow direction.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show an embodiment of a portion of a hydraulic system 91having a hydraulic circuit 92. The hydraulic circuit 92 includes a firstprimary hydraulic motor 94, a second primary hydraulic motor 96, a firstvalve assembly 98, a secondary hydraulic assembly 100, and a secondvalve assembly 102. The hydraulic circuit 92 functions in a similarmanner to the hydraulic circuit 80, but includes additional components.For example, as shown, the hydraulic circuit 92 contains the firstprimary hydraulic motor 94 in series with the second primary hydraulicmotor 96. In another embodiment, the first primary hydraulic motor 94and the second primary hydraulic motor 96 may be arranged in a parallelconfiguration utilizing a junction or a direction control valve todistribute flow between the two motors 94, 96. The second valve assembly102 is configured to block the flow of hydraulic fluid from entering thesecondary hydraulic assembly 100 when the flow of hydraulic fluid is ina direction 104. The first valve assembly 98 is configured to enable theflow of hydraulic fluid through the first primary hydraulic motor 94 andthe second primary hydraulic motor 96 in the direction 104. Conversely,as shown in FIG. 7, when the direction of hydraulic fluid is reversed(e.g., in direction 112), the first valve assembly 98 blocks the flow ofhydraulic fluid to the first and second primary hydraulic motors 94, 96,and the second valve assembly 102 is configured to enable the flow ofhydraulic fluid through the secondary hydraulic assembly 100.

In one embodiment the secondary hydraulic assembly 100 may include oneor more hydraulic motors, hydraulic control systems, and/or hydraulictools. It should be understood that various primary and secondaryhydraulic assemblies may include any of the actuators disclosed herein.Additionally, in one embodiment the first and second valve assemblies98, 102 may comprise one or more check valves and/or any other one-wayvalve configured to restrict or block the flow of hydraulic fluid in aspecified direction.

As shown in FIGS. 4-7, reversing the flow of hydraulic fluid from thedirection 90, 104 to the direction 110, 112 enables selection between aprimary function (e.g., seeding operations) and a secondary function(e.g., filling operations) of the air cart 10. As a non-limitingexample, an operator may switch between the seeding operation and thefilling operation by providing an input to reverse the flow of hydraulicfluid.

In one embodiment, the operator may select the direction of the flow ofhydraulic fluid by providing an input to adjust the directional controlvalve 89. The directional control valve 89 may include a first valveposition 114 that is configured to direct hydraulic fluid flow in afirst direction 90, 104 and a second valve position 116 that isconfigured to direct hydraulic fluid flow in a second direction 110,112. The directional control valve 89 may be a spool valve or any othervalve configured to switch between two directions of fluid flow. Incertain embodiments, the directional control valve 89 may be adjustedfrom a cab of a tractor towing the air cart 10. Therefore, the presentlydisclosed system enables the operator to switch between the seedingoperation and the filling operation without having to exit the cab ofthe tractor. Additionally, using a system with check valves may reducethe cost of the air cart 10 when compared to traditional air carts thatuse a manual selector valve mounted to the air cart. Generally, checkvalves are significantly less expensive than manual selector valves withassociated fittings and mounting equipment.

As noted above, the operator of the air cart 10 may be able to controlthe flow rate of the hydraulic fluid in the directions 104, 112 with thecontroller 81. The desired flow rate of the hydraulic fluid may be inputvia the user input 87 by the operator to enhance performance of thehydraulic assembly being powered. The desired flow rate may be stored inthe memory 85, and the controller 81 may control the flow rate accordingto the stored, desired flow rate. As a non-limiting example, if thesecondary hydraulic assembly 100 includes the hydraulic motor 58configured to drive the conveyor 52 of the filling mechanism 22 on theair cart 10, the operator may wish to utilize the maximum flow rate ofhydraulic fluid to feed as much product to the storage tank 12 of theair cart 10 in the least amount of time. The less time it takes torefill the storage tank 12, the more time the operator has to performseeding operations. The ability to store different hydraulic fluid flowrates for the seeding operation and the filling operation may lead tomore efficient farming because the operator may easily set a higher flowrate for the filling operation and the hydraulic system 76, 91 may flowthe hydraulic fluid through the hydraulic circuit 80, 92 in the setdirection and at the desired flow rate. The disclosed features of theair cart 10 enable an operator to utilize two different functions of theair cart 10 at different power outputs without having to manually adjusta valve on the air cart 10 and/or reset the hydraulic flow rate eachtime a switch between the two functions occurs.

While only certain features of the invention have been illustrated anddescribed herein, many modifications and changes will occur to thoseskilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appendedclaims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fallwithin the true spirit of the invention.

1. A hydraulic system for an air cart comprising: a primary hydraulicassembly; a secondary hydraulic assembly; a first valve configured toblock a flow of a hydraulic fluid flowing in a first direction from theprimary hydraulic assembly; and a second valve configured to block aflow of the hydraulic fluid flowing in a second direction from thesecondary hydraulic assembly.
 2. The hydraulic system of claim 1,wherein the primary hydraulic assembly comprises a hydraulic motorconfigured to power a fan of the air cart.
 3. The hydraulic system ofclaim 1, wherein the primary hydraulic assembly comprises a hydraulicmotor configured to power an alternator of the air cart.
 4. Thehydraulic system of claim 3, wherein the alternator is configured topower a metering system of the air cart.
 5. The hydraulic system ofclaim 1, wherein the secondary hydraulic assembly comprises a hydraulicmotor configured to power a conveyor of a conveyance system of the aircart.
 6. The hydraulic system of claim 1, wherein the secondaryhydraulic assembly comprises a hydraulic cylinder configured to controlan arm of a conveyance system of the air cart.
 7. The hydraulic systemof claim 1, wherein the secondary hydraulic assembly comprises ahydraulic motor configured to power an auxiliary feed system.
 8. Thehydraulic system of claim 1, wherein the first valve and the secondvalve comprise a check valve.
 9. The hydraulic system of claim 1,wherein the hydraulic system is configured to accommodate different flowrates of the hydraulic fluid.
 10. A hydraulic system for an air cartcomprising: a first primary hydraulic motor configured to power a fan ofthe air cart; a first secondary hydraulic motor configured to power aconveyor, wherein the conveyor is configured to convey a product into astorage tank of the air cart; a first valve configured to facilitateflow of a hydraulic fluid flowing in a first direction through the firstprimary hydraulic motor and to block the hydraulic fluid flowing in asecond direction from flowing through the first primary hydraulic motor;and a second valve configured to facilitate flow of the hydraulic fluidflowing in the second direction through the first secondary hydraulicmotor and to block the hydraulic fluid flowing in the first directionfrom flowing through the first secondary hydraulic motor.
 11. Thehydraulic system of claim 10, comprising a second primary hydraulicmotor configured to power an alternator, wherein the alternator isconfigured to power a metering system of the air cart.
 12. The hydraulicsystem of claim 10, comprising a second secondary hydraulic motorconfigured to power an auxiliary fill system.
 13. The hydraulic systemof claim 10, wherein the hydraulic system is configured to accommodatedifferent flow rates of the hydraulic fluid.
 14. The hydraulic system ofclaim 10, comprising a direction control valve, wherein the directioncontrol valve comprises a first valve position and a second valveposition, wherein the direction control valve is configured to enablethe hydraulic fluid to flow in the first direction while the directioncontrol valve is in the first valve position and to enable the hydraulicfluid to flow in the second direction while the direction control valveis in the second valve position.
 15. The hydraulic system of claim 10,wherein the first valve and the second valve comprise a check valve. 16.A hydraulic system for an air cart comprising: a first fluid conduitconfigured to fluidly couple to a primary hydraulic motor; a secondfluid conduit configured to fluidly couple to a secondary hydraulicmotor; a first hydraulic junction comprising a first member and a secondmember, wherein the first member of the first hydraulic junction isfluidly coupled to the first fluid conduit, and the second member of thefirst hydraulic junction is fluidly coupled to the second fluid conduit;a first check valve fluidly coupled to the second fluid conduit and tothe second member of the first hydraulic junction, wherein the firstcheck valve is configured to block a flow of a hydraulic fluid flowingin a first direction through the second fluid conduit; a secondhydraulic junction comprising a first member and a second member,wherein the first member of the second hydraulic junction is fluidlycoupled to the first fluid conduit, and the second member of the secondhydraulic junction is fluidly coupled to the second fluid conduit; and asecond check valve fluidly coupled to the first fluid conduit and to thefirst member of the second hydraulic junction, wherein the second checkvalve is configured to block a flow of the hydraulic fluid flowing in asecond direction through the first fluid conduit.
 17. The hydraulicsystem of claim 16, wherein the primary hydraulic motor is configured topower a fan of the air cart.
 18. The hydraulic system of claim 16,wherein the primary hydraulic motor is configured to power analternator, and the alternator is configured to power a metering systemof the air cart.
 19. The hydraulic system of claim 16, wherein thesecondary hydraulic motor is configured to power a conveyor, and theconveyor is configured to convey a product into the air cart.
 20. Thehydraulic system of claim 16, wherein the secondary hydraulic motor isconfigured to power an arm of a conveyance system of the air cart.